Filipe Dias De

Filipe (born in Coimbra in 1983) is a founding-member of Altes Finanzamt, musician and writer. After graduating in economics in Lisbon, moved to Asia (i.e. India, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia) where he lived from 2006 till 2008. There he learnt sitar (Indian classical music), various Gamelan instruments (Balinese music) and Gender Wayang (Balinese xylophone used for shadow puppetry). After moving to Berlin (mid 2008), Filipe started exploring sitar in the context of experimental improvised music, developing new melodic constructions and also using objects. He has different musical projects through which he tries to discover different purposes and meanings for the use of sitar, and is currently playing with a wide variety of instrumentalists: Jörg Maria Zeger (prepared guitar), Amine Mesnaoui (fender rhodes), Pedro André (electro acoustic processing), Arturo Martinez Steele (cello), and Jan Peuckert (accordion). As a writer, has already published two books, and participated in various literary events in Berlin. He is also a founding-member of PHIFA (philosophical football association) and the Neukölln Academy of Now!.